Ivingswood Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an inadequate school Safeguarding arrangements are ineffective. School leaders, the governing body and the trust have not taken appropriate action to ensure pupils' welfare and safety.

Governors do not monitor the work of the school with sufficient rigour. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is broad and balanced.

It does not enthuse pupils or enrich their learning experiences. Insufficient attention has been given to address the poor attendance and punctuality of some groups of pupils. Inappropriate behaviour, such as bullying and racist language, has not been tackled effectively.
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Children in the early years do not achieve well enough. Opportunities to develop children's early language skills are not promoted sufficiently well. School leaders, governors and the trust have not done enough to gain the confidence of parents and carers.

Over time, teaching has not enabled pupils to make good progress. Too many pupils are insufficiently prepared for the next stage of their education. Teachers' assessments of pupils' learning are not accurate enough.

Teachers do not provide enough challenge for the most able pupils or sufficient support for different groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. Turbulence in leadership has had a negative impact on improving the school. Middle leaders' skills have not been developed enough to enable them to support school improvement.

Pupils' personal development is not promoted sufficiently well. There are serious weaknesses in pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Governors do not fulfil all their delegated duties.

They have not analysed the impact of pupil premium and sport funding well enough. With other leaders, they have failed to improve teaching or outcomes for pupils. The school has the following strengths The new headteacher has a clear vision for improving the school.

Outcomes in phonics have improved. Pupils are keen to learn and want to do well. The two assistant headteachers provide effective support for the headteacher.

Information about this school

Ivingswood Academy opened in September 2015. It has provision for two-year-old children in the Nursery class. It is sponsored by the White Hills Schools Trust.

The executive headteacher is the headteacher of Chesham Grammar School. There is a local governing body. White Hills Schools Trust is made up of three schools.

The founding school, Chesham Grammar School, Ivingswood Academy and Waterside Primary Academy. The trust board has up to five trustees appointed by the members. Other trustees are appointed by the trust board.

Altogether, there are eight trustees, who are responsible for the strategic direction, the board policy framework and the oversight of the trust and all schools within it. The school receives professional support from a school improvement partner and a primary school improvement consultant brokered by the trust. The trust has also brokered support from other schools to improve teaching.

The school is smaller than an average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium grant is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average.

The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average. The headteacher and four teachers took up post in September 2018.